Mapping subscribers to operators in shared radio unit architecture using ran slicing

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for mapping a subscriber to a mobile network operator in a fifth-generation New Radio (5G NR) cellular telecommunication radio access network (RAN). The method is performed by a Radio Unit (RU) device operated by a first network operator and includes: transmitting system information including first information indicating network slices and second information indicating Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) occasions mapped to the network slices, receiving a preamble of a Random Access Channel (RACH) during one of the PRACH occasions indicated by the second information, determining a second network operator based on the one of the PRACH occasions during which the preamble of the RACH is received, and transmitting the preamble of the RACH to a Distributed Unit (DU) device that is operated by the second network operator determined based on the one of the PRACH occasions during which the preamble of the RACH is received.

1 . A method, comprising:
 transmitting, by a radio unit of a first network operator that is allocated a first bandwidth part, a message that indicates a second bandwidth part allocated to a second network operator, wherein the second network operator is separate from the first network operator, and the second bandwidth part is different from the first bandwidth part;   receiving, by the radio unit, data from a user device using the second bandwidth part, wherein the user device is a subscriber of the second network operator; and   routing, by the radio unit, the data to a distributed unit operated by the second network operator.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the radio unit, second data from a second user device using the first bandwidth part, wherein the second user device is a subscriber of the first network operator; and   routing, by the radio unit, the second data to a second distributed unit operated by the first network operator.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the message comprises:
 broadcasting, by the radio unit, the message indicating the first bandwidth part allocated to the first network operator and the second bandwidth part allocated to the second network operator.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the message comprises:
 broadcasting, by the radio unit, the message indicating the first bandwidth part allocated to the first network operator, the second bandwidth part allocated to the second network operator, and a third bandwidth part allocated to a third network operator, wherein the first network operator is separate from the first network operator and the second network operator.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the radio unit, second data from a second user device using the third bandwidth part, wherein the second user device is a subscriber of the third network operator; and   routing, by the radio unit, the second data to a second distributed unit operated by the third network operator.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 allocating, by the radio unit, the first bandwidth part to the first network operator; and   allocating, by the radio unit, the second bandwidth part to the second network operator.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 allocating, by the radio unit, a third bandwidth part to a third network operator that is separate from the first network operator and the second network operator.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the message comprises:
 receiving, by the radio unit, an indication of the second bandwidth part from a central unit operated by the second network operator; and   transmitting, by the radio unit to the user device, the message with the indication of the second bandwidth part to be used by the user device when transmitting data to the radio unit.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the message comprises:
 receiving, by the radio unit, an indication of the second bandwidth part from the distributed unit operated by the second network operator; and   transmitting, by the radio unit to the user device, the message with the indication of the second bandwidth part to be used by the user device when transmitting data to the radio unit.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first network operator is a host network operator. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second network operator is a guest network operator. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the radio unit is a shared radio unit among a plurality of network operators, wherein the plurality of network operators includes the first network operator and the second network operator. 
     
     
         13 . A method, comprising:
 connecting, by a user device, to a radio unit of a first network operator, wherein the first network operator is allocated a first bandwidth part, and wherein the user device is a subscriber to a second network operator that is separate from the first network operator;   receiving, by the user device from the radio unit, an indication of a second bandwidth part allocated to the second network operator, wherein the second bandwidth part is different from the first bandwidth part; and   transmitting, by the user device to the radio unit of the first network operator, data using the second bandwidth part allocated to the second network operator.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein receiving the indication of the second bandwidth part allocated to the second network operator comprises:
 receiving, by the user device, a message that is broadcast from the radio unit and that includes the indication of the second bandwidth part allocated to the second network operator.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein receiving the indication of the second bandwidth part allocated to the second network operator comprises:
 receiving, by the user device and in response to authentication of the user device with the second network operator, the indication of the second bandwidth part allocated to the second network operator from a distributed unit operated by the second network operator.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein receiving the indication of the second bandwidth part allocated to the second network operator comprises:
 receiving, by the user device and in response to authentication of the user device with the second network operator, the indication of the second bandwidth part allocated to the second network operator from a central unit operated by the second network operator.   
     
     
         17 . A wireless network system, comprising:
 a radio unit of a first network operator that is allocated a first bandwidth part, the radio unit configured to:
 transmit an indication of a second bandwidth part allocated to a second network operator, wherein the second network operator is separate from the first network operator, and the second bandwidth part is different from the first bandwidth part; 
   a user device that is a subscriber of the second network operator, the user device configured to:
 receive the indication of the second bandwidth part allocated to the second network operator from the radio unit; and 
 transmit data to the radio unit using the second bandwidth part allocated to the second network operator; and 
   wherein the radio unit is further configured to:
 receive the data from the user device using the second bandwidth part; and 
 route the data to a distributed unit operated by the second network operator. 
   
     
     
         18 . The wireless network system of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 the distributed unit operated by the second network operator, wherein the distributed unit is configured to handle communications with the user device using the second bandwidth part; and   a second distributed unit operated by the first network operator, wherein the second distributed unit is configured to handle communications with other user devices using the first bandwidth part.   
     
     
         19 . The wireless network system of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a second user device that is a subscriber of the first network operator, the second user device configured to:
 transmit second data to the radio unit using the first bandwidth part allocated to the first network operator; and 
   wherein the radio unit is further configured to:
 receive the second data from the second user device using the first bandwidth part; and 
 route the second data to a second distributed unit operated by the first network operator. 
   
     
     
         20 . The wireless network system of  claim 17 , wherein the radio unit is a shared radio unit among a plurality of network operators, wherein the plurality of network operators includes the first network operator and the second network operator.